‘CRPF Raj’ Soon to Take Over Jharkhand?

Kamal Kishor Purty belongs to an Adivasi community and has been working as a social activist for the last 15 years. The region he belongs to is remote; during the rains, his village is flooded, making it nearly entirely inaccessible. Since becoming a Community Correspondent, Kamal has become a rare representative of the press in his region. “I am proud of my Ho culture and want to get more content in my language out there. I cannot speak properly in Hindi but I feel that that should not be a cause for feeling ashamed! We adivasis should be proud of…

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is one of the largest forces of the Central Armed Police Forces. When deployed in the state of Jharkhand about two years ago, the CRPF’s primary role was to contain insurgency. However, India Unheard Community Correspondent Kamal Purthy’s video tells a different story.

Salihatu village, West Singhbhum lives in fear as many of their youth are arbitrarily jailed, threatened and tortured as suspected Naxalites. These suspicions criminalize shop keepers based on flimsy excuses like large groups gather around the shop regularly or their presence at local community gatherings.

While villagers are not only afraid to go out for their daily chores and activities of fetching water or herding their cattle because of constant heckling by the CRPF , but adding to their anxieties is the proposed establishment of a CRPF camp close to their village. This, according to Community Correspondent Kamal Purthy, automatically means that the village will be under constant vigilance by the CRPF who already curb the independence with which adivasi communities like to lead their lives.

Call to action -India Unheard Community Correspondent Kamal asks that CRPF camps should not be made in civilian inhabited areas. Says Kamal, “It is but simple, it will soon become a ‘CRPF Raj’ here!” He asks that you call the district authority K. Srinivasan at (0)9472710699 ,(0)9431115267 and demand that the CRPF camp not be set up in a civilian area.